INSIGHTS & NOTES FROM
CHAPTER 7
"In prayer we must set ourselves as before the Lord, must see his eye upon us & have our eye up to him." "When we offer up our requests to God it must be with a readiness to receive instructions from him..." "Those that would know God's mind should consult God's ministers, & in doubtful cases ask advice of those whose special business it is to search the scriptures." "They had not an eye to God in their fasting: Did you at all fast unto me, even to me?" "To fast, & not fast to God, was to mock him & provoke him, & could not be pleasing to him." "Nothing is so hard, so unmalleable, so inflexible, as the heart of a presumptuous sinner" "The words of the prophet were not regarded by them, though they were words which the Lord of hosts sent & directed to them, though he sent them immediately by his Spirit in the prophets; so that in despising them they affronted God himself & resisted the Holy Ghost." "Great sins against the Lord of hosts, whose authority is incontestable, bring great wrath from the Lord of hosts, whose power is irresistible." "Iniquity, regarded in the heart, will certainly spoil the success of prayer, Psalms 66:18." "The desolations of a land are owing to the wickedness of its inhabitants, Psalms 107:34." CHAPTER 8 "...God's providence would as loudly call them to joy & gladness as ever it called them to fasting & mourning." "Those that profess... relation to God, must study to adorn their profession by all instances of godliness & honesty." "...God would renew his covenant with them, would be faithful to them & make them so to him: They shall be my people & I will be their God." "Those & those only, that are employed for God, may expect to be encouraged by him; those who lay their hands to the plough of duty shall have them strengthened with the promises of mercy; & those who avoid their fathers' faults, not only cut off the entail of the curse, but have it turned into a blessing." "Those that throw off the love of God forfeit the comfort of brotherly love." "...those whom God plainly blesses as his own, shows favour to & puts honour upon, we ought also to respect & be kind to." "We must not only keep our hands from doing evil, but we must watch over our hearts, that they imagine not any evil against our neighbour, Proverbs 3:29. Injury & mischief must be crushed in the thought, in the embryo." "...those that in sincerity humbled themselves before God, & sought his face, have here a comfortable assurance given them of a large share in the happy times approaching." "...when God comes towards us in ways of mercy, we must meet him with joy & thankfulness" "...those who sow in tears with Zion shall reap in joy with her; those who submit to the restraints of her solemn fasts while they continue shall share in the triumphs of her cheerful feasts when they come" "Let the truths of God rule in your heads, & let the peace of God rule in your hearts." "As iron sharpens iron, so may good men sharpen the countenances & spirits one of another in that which is good." "It is the privilege of the saints that they have God with them, have him among them - the knowledge, & fear, & worship of him; they have his favour & gracious presence, & this should invite us into communion with them. It is good being with those who have God with them, & those who join themselves to the Lord must join themselves to his disciples; if we take God for our God, we must take his people for our people, cast in our lot among them, & be willing to take our lot with them." CHAPTER 9 "Nothing is too hard for the grace of God to do." "God would preserve a remnant even of these nations, that should be the monuments of his mercy & grace & be set apart for him" "In Christ Jesus there is no distinction of nations, but all are one in him, all alike welcome to him." II Chronicles 16:9 "A sinful state is a state of bondage; it is a spiritual prison; it is a pit, or a dungeon, in which there is no water, no comfort at all to be had. We are all by nature prisoners in this pit; the scripture has concluded us all under sin, & bound us over to the justice of God. God is pleased to deal upon new terms with these prisoners, to enter into another covenant with them; the blood of Christ is the blood of that covenant, purchased it for us & all the benefits of it; by that blood of the covenant effectual provision is made for the sending forth of these prisoners upon easy & honourable terms, & proclamation made of liberty to the captives & the opening of the prison to those that were bound" "The best & bravest of men are but what God makes them, & do no more service than he enables them to do." "Those are safe whom God saves." "God's people are his glory; so he is pleased to make them, so he is pleased to reckon them. He sets them up as a banner upon his own land, waging war against those who hate him" "What good gifts God bestows upon us we serve him cheerfully with, & must trace the streams up to the fountain, &, when we are refreshed with corn & wine, must say, How great is his goodness!" CHAPTER 10 "Those that wandered after strange gods were made to wander into strange nations." "It is God that makes us what we are..." "...we are engaged to the utmost diligence in using the strength God gives us; & yet, when all is done, God must have the glory of all. God is our strength, & so becomes both our song & our salvation." "Those whom Christ has redeemed by his blood God will gather by his grace, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings." "Strength is treasured up for us in Christ, & from him it is communicated to us. It is through Christ strengthening us that we can do all things, & without him we can do nothing." "To us to live must be Christ; &, whatever we do in word or deed, we must do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, that we receive not the strengthening grace of God in vain. Psalms 80:17, 18." Matthew Henry's Commentary: Isaiah to Malachi, Mac Donald, pgs. 1429 - 1452.
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AuthorCross Preaching Pentecostal Pastor. Husband to Tonia, Father to 3 beautiful girls, Monica, Zoe & Briana, & Grandfather to Wesley & Elliott Archives
September 2023
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